Bernie Dana: Business Department chair

March 6, 2013

Prior to joining the Evangel University faculty in 2001, Bernie Dana served as the executive vice president of Vetter Health Services, Inc. (VHS) based in Omaha, Nebraska. He was also the corporate secretary and member of the board of directors of Vetter Holding, Inc., its 33 subsidiary corporations, and The Vetter Foundation, a charitable organization for support of Christian ministries and quality training in long-term care.

Dana holds a Master of Quality Management from Loyola University and Bachelor of Business Administration from Evangel University (class of ’67). In addition to serving as chairman of the Business Department at Evangel, he has been active as a consultant, author and speaker in the long-term care profession.

Dana has been married to his wife, Susie, since 1966. They have two sons and six grandchildren. The Danas attend Evangel Temple Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri.

What has been the highlight of your career outside of Evangel?

Helping lead an organization of 2,400 employees to a culture change with focus on customer-focused quality and high-performance results. Also, helping to create, develop and chair the Board of Overseers for the American Health Care Association’s National Quality Award Program.

What would you say sets Evangel’s Business Department apart from similar programs at other universities?

We’ve been doing it well for more than 50 years and have alumni who have distinguished themselves as key leaders in business, government and ministry organizations.

What’s new in the department?

We expanded our minor in Finance to a major in the fall of 2011 and a started a Nonprofit Business & Social Enterprise major in the fall of 2012 for students who have a head for business and a heart for service. We are one of a few universities in the nation with this business degree. In August 2012, we launched a campaign to raise $1 million for endowed business scholarships and have already received pledges for $675,000 from 17 individuals and one corporation. We have set goals to achieve consistently high levels of enrollment, course evaluations and national standardized test performance over the next three years.

What do you enjoy most about working with EU students?

I enjoy all of it — mostly trying to find innovative ways to engage students in learning and individual student advising.

What advice for do you have for prospective students?

Even if you’re not a business major, take some business courses to help you know how to navigate through the business world that you will be living in regardless of your vocation.

About Evangel

Evangel is an accredited, liberal arts university with more than 70 academic programs on the cutting edge of today's professional fields. Our commitment to the integration of faith, learning and life attracts students from a wide variety of Christian denominational backgrounds who have a strong commitment to academics with a desire to combine their Christian faith with every aspect of their lives.